More and more vehicles are equipped with remote starting capability. Remote starters allow the vehicle user to, for example, push a button on a key fob from inside the house to start the vehicle's engine, thereby allowing the vehicle engine time to warm up or the vehicle's interior environment to adjust to the user's desired settings. The user's vehicle may be located outside or in an enclosed area, such as a closed garage. If the vehicle is outside, the surrounding environment is able to dissipate the harmful emissions. However, if the vehicle is located in a closed garage, the environmental conditions, such as emissions and temperature, resulting from the vehicle's engine may reach levels that are dangerous, and even fatal, to humans and animals located in, or above, the garage. One way to solve this problem is for the user to enter the garage and manually actuate the garage door to provide proper ventilation. However, situations may arise where the car is accidentally started (e.g., child playing with the remote starter) or the user forgets to open the garage door.
Additionally, Plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) may be utilized for backup electrical power generation in the event of a power outage. The engine of the PHEV may be configured to automatically turn on during a power outage to keep appliances, such as the refrigerator or HVAC, operating. Combustion engine electrical power generators may be utilized to perform the same function. If located in an enclosed garage, both PHEVs and combustion engine generators are capable of creating harmful environmental conditions reaching levels that are dangerous, and even fatal, to humans and animals located in, or above, the garage. This configuration is particularly problematic because the power outage may occur while the user is sleeping or outside the house and the starting of the PHEV or combustion engine generator may go unnoticed by the user. Even if the power outage is noticed by the user, when the power returns as a result of the PHEV or combustion engine generator, the user may incorrectly believe that power from the electrical power grid has been restored. In either case, the result is that the user fails to open the garage door to provide proper ventilation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method to address these and/or other issues.